Erectile dysfunction in Fragile X men

Aim: To further characterize the sperm defects in Fragile X men. Methods: Two different polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods were used for the molecular diagnosis of FXS. Sperm collection was done mostly according to the laboratory manual of the World Health Organization. Results: We failed to collect sperm samples from five Fragile X subjects aged 18–60 years as a result of an unexpected erectile dysfunction. Conclusion: Erectile reflex is an instinctive response in all healthy males. The absence of erection can be caused by hormonal, physical or neuronal malfunction. As hormonal profiles arereported to be generally normal in Fragile X men, we propose that an unknown physical factor or the neuronal circuit, or both, underlying the erection is compromised. (Asian J Androl 2006 ; : )